'Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted'– towards a critical exploration of modes of satisfaction measurement in sheltered housing

This paper reflects on a research project funded by a consortium of leading sheltered housing (SH) providers and their regulatory body, the Housing Corporation. The project aimed to ascertain which aspects of SH older people perceived to be central to their satisfaction and the methods they judged most appropriate to measuring this. We outline key policy developments of importance to SH (specifically the development of performance measurement regimes), and changes in the nature of SH, which are driving providers to re‐evaluate how they measure user satisfaction. We discuss the aims of the project, our methodology and findings, and conclude by raising critical questions about the process of measuring satisfaction within an increasingly managerialised housing system. We argue that this favours standardised methods of information gathering (such as questionnaires) rather than engage with clients in order to develop methods and systems capable of eliciting qualitative issues of concern to them. Our conclusions are, we believe, applicable to health and social care provision, where similar tensions exist around performance measurement and user satisfaction.     

正常成人脑外段视神经的MRI研究

目的 评价正常成人视神经-眼平面(NOP)视交叉以外段颅神经的MRI表现,建立正常标准。方法 随机选择正常成人志愿者50例,采用GB1.5T MR/i echo spood plus超导型磁共振成像仪及相控阵头线圈,成像序列包括自旋回波T1加权成像(SET1WI)和自旋回波T2加权成像(SET2WI);扫描方位以NOP平面为基准扫描。分别测量两组视神经眼球后神经膨大段直径、眶内段视神经直径、长度,管内段视神经直径及该段视神经起始至同侧视交叉的长度,后者与眶内段视神经长度之和即代表颅外段视神经的长度。结果 NOP平面上,正常人眼球后神经膨大段直径为4.2±0.56mm,眶内段直径为3.1±0.45mm、长度为24.6±2.88mm,管内段视神经直径为3.2±0.49mm,至同侧视交叉的长度为18.7±2.40mm,颅外段视神经的长度为43.3±3.83mm。统计分析,正常成人组内性别和年龄、双侧视神经之间无显著差异。 结论 NOP平面评价视神经有很大优势,MRI可以很好显示视神经的形态,是研究其解剖和疾病的有效检查手段。     

Evaluation of the epidermal refractive index measured by optical coherence tomography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has recently been proposed that the refractive index (RI) measured by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be a valid measure for hydration of skin. In this pilot study, using OCT in vivo, we aimed to investigate the interday variability of RI measurements and acute changes of RI following the application of a moisturizer. METHODS: Twenty healthy Caucasian volunteers were investigated on their forearms using a commercially available OCT system (SkinDex 300, ISIS optronics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) fitted with an integrated algorithm for the evaluation of the RI. The interday repeatability of the OCT method was determined performing symmetrical measurements on both forearms on day 1, 5, 9, and 13. In order to investigate the acute effect of a moisturizer on RI, OCT assessments were performed before and 10 min after the application of an aqueous lotion with a lipophilic phase. As a control, the contralateral site was investigated in the same way, except for the use of distilled water instead of the lotion. RESULTS: Assessments of interday variability revealed insignificant (P>0.05) variances between the four measurement times as expressed in very small repeatability coefficients (right arm: 0.039; left arm 0.053) and small coefficients of variance (right arm: 1.02%; left arm: 1.38%). With regard to the RIs measured over time, we could not observe significant (P>0.05) differences between the two symmetrical anatomic sites (mean+/-SD of RI: 1.3893+/-0.0142 (right arm); 1.3875+/-0.0192 (left arm)). The acute effect of the moisturizer was indicated by a significant decrease of the RI 5 min after the application of the lotion (1.399+/-0.01 vs. 1.387+/-0.02; difference between means: 0.012; P=0.033; 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.0023). However the control site treated with distilled water did not show significant differences between the two measurement times (1.387+/-0.013 vs. 1.391+/-0.023; difference between means: -0.004; P=0.57; 95% confidence interval: -0.019-0.011). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, we have demonstrated that RI evaluation via OCT is a promising technique that may be used for the assessment of skin hydration in vivo. However, the direct comparison of OCT with standard methods, ideally such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, is necessary.     

Discrepancy of xenon concentrations between end-tidal and blood collection methods in xenon-enhanced computed tomographic measurement of cerebral blood flow

Summary Using xenon-enhanced computed tomography for the study of cerebral blood flow, simultaneous measurements of end-tidal and arterial blood xenon concentrations using the blood collection method were performed to investigate the validity of substituting the end-tidal for the arterial blood xenon concentration. Simultaneous measurement by both methods was performed 68 times in 27 patients. There was no statistical correlation between the arterial blood accumulation rate constant obtained by arterial blood and end-tidal samples, nor between the arterial blood saturation value obtained by the two methods, even when correction was made for age. In brain tissue, all parameters calculated using the end-tidal concentration were lower than those using arterial blood. We therefore suggest that cerebral blood flow values calculated using end-tidal xenon concentration are useful only for qualitative cerebral blood flow mapping, and not applicable to absolute values of cerebral blood flow.     

292例国人正常胎儿枕额径及双顶径的外测量分析

经对292例正常胎儿枕额径和双顶径的外测量,结果表明,枕额径和双顶径都随着胎龄的增长而增大,但其生长速度则随着胎龄的增长而逐渐减慢。经回归分析原理,分别得出预测方程。枕额径增长的速度和双顶径增长的速度没有明显差异(P>0.05)。     

The onset of ablation of the evoked adductor pollicis muscle twitch in children: a clinical perspective

The time to loss of the adductor pollicis muscle response to ulnar nerve stimulation at 1 Hz (twitch) after succinylcholine, 1.5 mg.kg-1 intravenously (IV), or vecuronium, 0.1 mg.kg-1 (IV), administration was assessed visually in 134 children, age 2-13 yr, during clinically determined, deep halothane, enflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia. The overall time to twitch ablation and duration of succinylcholine's action is in agreement with published times obtained under controlled experimental conditions; the onset time following vecuronium is comparable to those observed during a similar anaesthetic background measured under controlled experimental conditions. Twitch ablation after succinylcholine was achieved in half the time needed following vecuronium regardless of anaesthetic agent. Succinylcholine's and vecuronium's onset time as well as succinylcholine's duration is adequately assessed by the outlined, simple clinical means. The choice of inhalation agent does not affect the time to visible twitch ablation in a clinically relevant manner; nor does it make an appreciable difference, in clinical terms, in succinylcholine's duration of action.     

亚硝酸盐法测定超氧化物歧化酶活性

用亚硝酸盐、氰化钾抑制区别法测定样品中的 Cu,Zn-SOD 和 Mn-SOD,灵敏度高,重现性好,操作简便。实验表明,抑制率达50%时所需 SOD 的浓度为0.07 μg/ml,其批内和批间的变异系数分别为6.0%和5.5%,鸡肝 Cu,Zn-SOD 与 KCN 的抑制复合物的表观解离常数 K′为288.6±45.5 μmol。     

ROOT ZX根管长度测量仪临床应用评价

目的 评价森田ROOT ZX根管长度测量仪临床应用价值.方法 用根管长度测量仪对108例根管进行根管测量,以此长度进行根管预备后,按测量长度插入牙胶尖摄X线牙片,计算出实际根管长度,求得测量准确率.结果 ROOT ZX测量准确率为92.6%.结论 ROOT ZX根管长度测量仪应用安全可靠、准确率高.     

睡眠状态下人体生理信号模糊分析系统的研究

采用LabVIEW技术完成对心电、呼吸、无创血氧和无创血压信号的采集与处理,而后通过MATLAB模糊测量系统对采集的人体生理信号进行模糊预测分析。通过实验检验了人体生理信号检测、处理和模糊预测分析方法的可靠性。LabVIEW技术对人体生理信号的模糊预测分析是有效的,可用于检测阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的生理状态信号。     

医院电子天平维护计量情况统计分析

电子天平具有体积小，功能齐全，操作简单，数值直观等优点，正为愈来愈多的医院、学校、科研单位所使用。本文结合我院五年中电子天平的使用、维护、计量情况，统计分析了其常见故障及电子天平使用中的注意事项。对保证医院电子天平使用过程的量值准确，提高临床诊断及科研水平有所帮助。